Restorative Dentistry Makes Somerville Smiles Dazzle

If you experience dental damage or tooth pain,
contact us right away. The sooner the Somerset
Dental Arts team gets started repairing your tooth, the more conservative
the treatment options we can offer. Whether you need a simple filling to
repair tooth decay or more advanced root canal or tooth replacement
solutions, Dr. DawnMarie DiGrazia has the
training and experience to offer comfortable, effective restorative dental
care. Our Somerville, NJ office welcomes patients from nearby communities
including Manville and Middlesex.

Traditional Dental Crown & Bridge

Dental crowns are the most commonly used restoration. A crown looks like a
natural tooth, but the inside is hollowed out to fit over the top of a
damaged tooth, restoring lost strength and structure. A fixed bridge
combines a replacement tooth or teeth with two dental crowns, one on each
end, to create a literal bridge over the gap. The dental crowns at each end
of the bridge are attached to healthy teeth on either side of the missing
tooth or teeth.

We offer dental crowns and fixed bridges in a variety of materials, each
with its own advantages. Gold restorations are often recommended for rear
teeth, which absorb the most impact. Gold is much more durable and creates
the least wear against opposing teeth. Porcelain fused-to-metal restorations
are nearly as durable as gold crowns, but the porcelain layer over the top
of teeth improves the cosmetic appearance. We also have Brux-Zir zirconia
crowns that offer the strength and durability of gold combined with a more
cosmetic appearance.

Crowns and bridges are placed over the course of two appointments. During
your first visit, we prepare the tooth, capture bite impressions, and place
a temporary. Once we receive the custom-crafted dental crown or bridge from
the lab, you’ll return to exchange the temporary for a custom
restoration.

Tooth Colored Fillings

Minor dental damage or decay has traditionally been treated using
silver-colored amalgam. But recently, tooth colored composite resin has
become the preferred restoration material. Unlike amalgams that were crafted
outside the mouth and held in place by wedges carved into the healthy tooth
structure, composite resin offers a more cosmetic solution. Placed directly
onto the damaged tooth, composite resin does not require the removal of any
healthy dental structure. Tooth colored fillings form a stronger bond
than is possible with silver fillings.

To apply a tooth colored filling, we start by shading the composite resin to
match your natural smile. Then, we numb the area to be treated, remove any
damaged or decayed tooth structure, and apply an etching agent to the
prepared tooth to create minute crevices where the filling material will
attach to the tooth. Next, we apply the putty-like composite resin directly
to the prepared dental structure. Once the filling is shaped into place, we
use a curing light to harden the filling.

Dentures & Partials

If you’ve experienced extensive tooth loss, a partial or full denture
may be best way to repair your smile. Partials are crafted to fill gaps in
smiles, and dentures replace a full arch of missing teeth. Both are
constructed by attaching replacement teeth to a gum colored base. The
partial is held in place with metal clasps; a full denture is molded to fit
snugly against the gums, creating natural suction for maximum stability.

Root Canal Therapy

When dental decay or damage reaches the inner layer of the tooth, root canal
therapy relieves pain and restores full health and function to the tooth.
Many people believe root canals are painful, but actually, the toothache
results from damage or decay irritating the nerve tissue which is housed in
the pulp layers of teeth. Root canal therapy relieves toothache pain by
removing the inner pulp and nerve tissue and replacing them with a
biologically inert substance. After we’ve taken out all the infected
tissue, we seal the tooth, and in most cases, place a sturdy crown.

Tooth Extractions

While the goal of restorative dentistry is always to repair damaged teeth,
there are some occasions when removing the tooth is the best solution to
maintain oral health. For instance, we may remove teeth in preparation for
orthodontic treatment or prior to creating and placing a denture. Sometimes,
damage or decay has advanced too far for the remaining dental structure to
support a restoration. We may also suggest removing third molars, wisdom
teeth, to prevent crowding or impaction.